History
by Saint Louise
Summary: Before Shinra, what were Reno and Rude doing with their lives? And exactly what interest does the company have in them?


History

Rude is a bare-knuckle fighter. His domain consists of the various shady bars in and around the Sector 4 slum he calls home. In these bar rooms, dreams are played out and battles are lost and won. But for Rude, the fight isn't just about beating his opponent; it's about beating his own personal demons. He is nineteen years old, shaven-headed and powerfully built, ideal for his hobby.  
"It's not just a hobby," he insists. "For us, it's almost a way of life."  
Rude is a man of very few words, but when he does speak, it's usually profound. Words are such a waste of time, he thinks, when actions speak so much more clearly.  
"A way of life?" a smaller boy echoes, laughing slightly. This is Reno. He is seventeen and a small-time hustler. "It's all about cheap booze and easy women, and making money."  
Reno doesn't fight; he watches. At the same time, he manages to buy, sell, gamble and cheat his way through the night. Reno has his own demons, but he doesn't seem too bothered about beating them. He has messy, bright red hair, a wiry frame and a few scattered needle marks on his arms. Reno's personal demon is heroin, occasionally.  
"That's occasionally," he stresses. "I ain't got the time or money for an addiction. I been called a commitment-phobe before now."  
Rude laughs. "That was by any one of your various girlfriends, not your drug dealer."  
"Same difference," Reno shrugs, making a face. "They both want my money."  
Rude laughs again, turning back to the fight. It's his turn soon, and he needs to watch the winner carefully to learn his patterns. Reno knows Rude is going to win, and he's gleefully taking bets from the spectators gathered around. One man stands a little way apart from the others, and although he doesn't seem physically intimidating, there's an air of power around him that suggests it might not be a good idea to mess with him. This is Tseng. He is twenty-two and works for the Shinra Department of Administrative Research- also known as the Turks. Tseng has Wutain features and long black hair, although he's without the infamous dark blue suit tonight. He is scouting for potential new Turks, but cannot afford to give himself away- this bar is not strictly legal under Shinra laws, and the presence of a Turk would not be entirely welcomed. With a ghost of a smile, he places a considerable bet on Rude to win. Reno jingles the Gil in his pockets cheerfully and heads off to the bar to buy a round of drinks- beer for him and a double whisky and water for Rude. Tseng insists on picking up the tab, which makes Reno suspicious of his motives. So while Tseng is watching Reno and Rude, they in turn are watching him.

Finally, it's Rude's turn to fight. He downs his drink and steps forward, squaring up to the opponent. Reno knows the moves Rude will make by heart, as he has watched him in combat so many times. Tseng, too, has seen Rude fight before, although neither Rude nor Reno know this. Both men watch Rude as he exchanges blows with his opponent; Tseng in particular is impressed by how fluid Rude's moves are and how devastating his punches are when they connect. He winces as Rude's adversary manages to get in a fierce jab to the jaw, but Reno makes no reaction other than drawing a little harder on his cigarette. After what seems like a long time, Rude gets his opponent down and stands still for a moment, the dim lights gleaming slightly on his bronzed, shirtless torso. And then a cheer goes up among the crowd- Rude has done it again. Reno grins widely, collecting his money from the men who bet against Rude, and Tseng hands Rude another double whisky and water. Reno notices his buddy being accosted by the stranger and goes to investigate.  
"Hey, what's goin' on?" he says. "I've got your money here, if that's what you want."  
"No," Tseng replies, that same hint of a smile playing across his lips. "Keep it. I've got something altogether more important to discuss with you both."  
Silently, Rude raises his eyebrows. Reno looks Tseng straight in the eye. "And that is…?"  
"I'm from the Turks," Tseng explains. "And I've been going through the slums looking for young talent, new recruits. I think you two would be ideal…"  
"Why you want a couple of slum brats?" it's Reno's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Last I heard, the Shinra didn't care about any of us."  
Tseng smiles again. "Let's just say you guys are far better equipped to deal with the work we do in the Turks than a couple of pampered upper plate brats."  
"And what do you do?" Rude enquires. "Kill people? Kidnap them?"  
Reno snorts. "The president's dirty work, then."  
"That's not all there is to it." Tseng says. "But yes, we do those things occasionally. But, if you're happy living all your lives in the slums, never to travel the world out there…well, I understand. I can find someone else."  
"We never said we weren't interested." Reno says quickly, and Rude nods his agreement. "It's like…everyone's dream to become a Turk, you know? Get outta here."  
"I know," Tseng says. "I was in your position once, too. So, you'll do it?"  
"Too fuckin' right will we." Reno grins. "Right, Rude?"  
"Right." Rude says firmly. Tseng smiles once more, properly this time.  
"I assure you, you won't regret this."  
"But…what's in it for us?" there's a certain light in Reno's eyes, one I've only seen when he's hit upon some big money deal.  
"The company will see to it that you both get apartments, cars and uniforms. We'll be paying for all of this, of course. And although I'm not at liberty to discuss your salaries, I can assure you that it's ten times more than you're making now, at least."  
Rude cracks a rare grin. "Hey, Reno, maybe you'll be able to afford that addiction you're always talking about."  
Reno smiles slowly. "Maybe I will. Maybe I will."

And with those words, the boys take one last look back at the neighbourhood and their former lives. Reno blows a kiss at a solitary girl on a corner and Tseng leads them out of Sector 4, towards the train station and new lives as contract killers.


End file.
